The Equipped For Life Podcast
The Equipped For Life Podcast is dedicated to providing men with spiritual knowledge and insight from the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. Whether you're just starting your journey of faith as a Christian or you're a seasoned disciple, Equipped For Life is here to ensure you have the tools you need to handle life's many challenges.
The Equipped For Life Podcast
Mastering Spiritual Vigilance | Understanding the Parable of the Talents
Ever wondered how ancient teachings can resonate so profoundly in our modern world? Join me, B.C. Vine, as we explore the Parable of the Talents and unravel its deep connection with Jesus’ teachings about the end of the age. Master the art of spiritual vigilance as we uncover the context of these profound teachings, tracing them back to the discussions in Matthew 24 about wars, false prophets, and deception—a stark reflection of today’s world events. This episode promises to equip you with a richer understanding of these parables' relevance to our lives, urging steadfastness and readiness in faith.
We draw insights from the precursor teachings in Matthew 24, addressing misconceptions about the end times and the importance of spiritual readiness. As we contrast the faithful servant with the wicked one, we emphasize the significance of engaging in meaningful endeavors. Prepare to enrich your spiritual journey with timeless biblical narratives, as we connect these teachings to the Parable of the Talents and inspire a renewed sense of purpose and zeal in your faith journey.
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Welcome back to the Equipped for Life podcast. I'm your host, b Vine, steward of this divine discussion as we go through a new episode for you, gentlemen, to make sure that you are fully equipped for life's journey. We're going to go through the parable of the talents today, and this is by far one of my most beloved passages of scripture. I love the parables of Jesus. Of course, I know that we all do, but this one is near and dear to my heart. This is one of the first passages that I read when I first became a believer. Now, before we get into the parable of the talents, we are gonna do an introduction to the parable. It's important that we establish some things and understand the backdrop in which this parable is placed. It's very, very important. You can, of course, gain a lot of benefit and value from reading the parable unto itself, but, like with most scripture, context is vital. It's extremely important to understand why the Messiah said certain things that he did, and so we're going to kind of go through that. And, if you were able to attend the study, it was a great time of fellowship. We had a dialogue around stewardship and we really enjoyed the time together. And, for those of you that are listening here, that are not in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, then you'll get the benefit of listening to the podcast, and if you were not attending in study on one of the days that we had it, then you'll be able to glean what you need to from this particular podcast session on the Parable of Talents. But before we do that, I want to remind you that EFLmencom is the website where you can go and get all information about Equip for Life. Follow us on YouTube, please subscribe. We are going to accelerate the amount of content that we're pushing out in the YouTube environment through social media and we're probably going to begin to add some video content. So I want to just give you that kind of heads up as we go into the new year. If you have not already subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. As I said, we always want to see the follower count increase and if you are compelled to donate to EFL, you can do so. At EFLmencom, you can also give to the podcast, so we continue to make the content for you.
B.C. Vine:Gentlemen, all right, without further ado, we're going to kind of get into this, and one thing that you have to understand is that this particular parable that we are going to be reading is placed within the Messiah's message to the disciples regarding the signs of the end of the age, and so I want to read this to you. So it's important for us to understand what's going on here. So this particular passage is right around the time where Jesus is walking out of the temple, and this is very popular. People know this and they ask the Messiah what are going to be the signs of these things coming. And these things are referring to him, mentioning how the temple will be destroyed, and so that is the backdrop for which he begins this explanation of the signs. And it starts like this in Matthew, chapter 24, verses one through three as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to him privately Tell us. They said when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Jesus answered watch out that no one deceives you. Jesus answered watch out that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name out because I read the wrong passage. So, my wonderful editor, I want to read this again. So Matthew 24, 1 through 3 reads as this Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. Do you see? All these things, he asked Truly? I tell you not one stone here will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. Tell us. They said when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming? And at the end of the age? So once again, this passage is placed within the Messiah's message to the disciples regarding the signs of the end of the age. It's important to know that as we get into the parable of the talents.
B.C. Vine:Another key observation here happens in Matthew 24, verses 4 through 14. This is how it reads. Jesus answered Watch out that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. But see to it that you are not alarmed to be persecuted and put to death and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved, and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony of all nations. And then the end will come.
B.C. Vine:So a key observation here is that we are drawing near to the end of days. The signs are all around us. If you see the world that we live in currently, conflicts are rising, diseases, famine, false teachers, people that are claiming to be divine in nature but yet having sin and demonic inclinations towards themselves, and it would seem that we are nearer than we were before. And the answer is yes, we are. But if you look at it in the context of what Messiah is speaking here, this end of days, this end of the age, this generation you'll see him speak that language later in the text is all referring to the time frame from when he departs after he's resurrected and goes to the right hand of the Father until the second coming, when he comes back. That is this period of time, and it's important to take hand of the father until the second coming, when he comes back. That is this period of time, and it's important to take note of that because you'll see how that's relevant in the parable of the talents, as well as in the parable of the ten virgins, and he's going to begin to describe some of these very key words that we want to bring our attention to. So, as we continue to read in the text, I want you to make note of these ideas End of the age. This generation will not pass. There's a duration of time that must be lived through in order for the Messiah to return, and he's giving us some wherewithal about how and when these things will occur.
B.C. Vine:Now, the next part of this. We're not going to, of course, read all of chapter 24. I'm picking particular passages for us to highlight One of the things that I think is important for those of us that have been grafted into the vine, those of us that are disciples and believers in Jesus and we follow his lead and we allow him to direct and guide our lives. This is a very encouraging piece of passage, or a piece of scripture, for you. So Matthew 24, 24 through 27 reads this For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
B.C. Vine:See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you there he is out in the wilderness, do not go out here. He is in the inner rooms. Do not believe it, For as lightning that comes from the east is visible in the west, so will be the coming of the son of man. I love this.
B.C. Vine:So the observation here is the chosen elect cannot be deceived by the schemes of the evil one. The chosen elect cannot be deceived by the schemes of the evil one. And this is a very bold thing for Messiah to tell the disciples here in this lesson that if you have Christ, if you have the Holy Spirit, if you are in oneness with him, in fellowship, you cannot be deceived by a lie, because you are embodying the spirit of truth. For false Christ and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. You see, that's what's interesting about this dynamic of the verse here is that you see that there's going to be a great deception and that deception is going to lead a lot of people astray, but the elect are going to be saved from that deception, but the deception is going to be very, very strong, so strong that it could possibly lead those astray that are the elect, could possibly lead those astray that are the elect, but it's not possible with Christ, because with Christ, you can resist and you have discernment, you have wisdom, understanding of who is of the Father and who is not of the Father. So it's important for us to dig and dive deep into the Word, be deep into fellowship and relationship with Jesus, so that we can have a clear understanding, so that we're not led astray. And you're going to see him weave this theme in later into the passage too as well in terms of the individuals that are going to persist to the end. All right, so you are listening to the Equipped for Life podcast.
B.C. Vine:We are in a teaching of the parable of the talents. Matthew 24 is the precursor to Matthew 25, where the parable of the talents is placed within. We are going through a study so we can have an introduction to know why Jesus said what he said in Matthew 25. All right, so the next part of this is a big, hefty part of scripture. I think that it's very, very impactful and I think it's important for us to read this so we know what he's teaching us.
B.C. Vine:So Matthew 24, 32 through 44 reads like this Now learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly, I tell you, this generation will not certainly pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. As it was in the days of Noah. So it will be at the coming of the son of man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of man. Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with the hand mill. One will be taken and the other left, two women will be grinding with the hand mill. One will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
B.C. Vine:This is a very poignant piece of text. Here there's also a lot of things to consider doctrinally and theologically, because you have a lot of individuals that outside of the Christian faith, that will misconstrue visuals, that outside of the Christian faith, that will misconstrue even those within the side. The Christian faith will build doctrines around one or two verses that are in this particular passage. But the idea that Jesus is trying to communicate here is do not find yourself unprepared. But for your notes, if you want to get into apologetics, you'll find lots of times that Muslims as well as Jehovah's Witnesses, you have certain factions of the Hebrew, israelites and others that will use this verse as a argument to say that Jesus is not God, and they will say that he's just a man because of verses like verse 30, 36, but about the hour day no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father.
B.C. Vine:This is not about knowledge pisto in the Greek, as we would understand knowledge but more so that has to do with authority to speak Right. So what he's saying here is that your concern should not be when it's coming and the father is reserving that authority to announce that to whom he chooses, right, it's not his place to speak it. It's not saying that he doesn't know it. So I think that that's a big misconception in the text and a lot of people have built false teachings and false ideas. The other thing here that you want to be aware of is that you see the two men going out, one being left, two women, one being left. This is a lot of the end times doctrine that gets communicated through our evangelical circles, in the Protestant circles predominantly. When you see people building a theological perspective around the rapture and what's going to happen there, they build that off of the verses that we just mentioned here. So don't get sidetracked on those two topics. That's another conversation for another day.
B.C. Vine:The main message here that Messiah is communicating is do not find yourself unprepared, because you do not know when your Lord will come. That is the main idea here, and that theme is going to again weave itself through into verse 25 in the parable of talents. So let's continue as we go forward. Matthew 24, 45 through 51 begins to lead us into the primary teaching principle of the parable of talents. This is a precursor to it, so it's important to recognize what the Messiah is saying to his disciples here. So let's read this 24 through or verse chapter 24, verse 45 through 51.
B.C. Vine:Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly, I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself my master is staying away a long time and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of, he will cut him into pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a very important phrase that's used by Messiah in multiple passages. Whenever you see that, your ear should perk up. Now we'll get into what that is, that meaning is, but we're going to continue along this path.
B.C. Vine:But the key principle here that you need to be aware of is that we are not supposed to be wasting time and engaging in fruitless endeavors. We are not supposed to be wasting time and engaging in fruitless endeavors. That is a problem I think that we have as Christians. We come to salvation, we get excited, we have exuberance, we have zeal, and then we go stagnant, we grow cold, we are slow to respond and we are quick to revert back to old habits, to the old man, to fleshly desires, and we kind of shirk and put off and are dismissive about the things that God is calling us to do, and we waste our time on things that bring no value, that bring no benefit, that produce no fruit.
B.C. Vine:And so you hear, you see, a very stark warning to this individual, this particular servant. He thinks that he has all the time in the world, and when the master's gone, and because he's been gone so long, he misuses his time, he misuses his steward responsibility and he mistreats others as well and engages in all manner of revelry. And when that master comes back, he obviously is not pleased with how this servant has been conducting himself. And so this is important for us Now. Messiah is not talking to, he is not talking to non-believers. He is communicating this to his disciples, individuals that claim to serve and follow him, those that call themselves by his name. So it's important to note that, as you're listening, if you are grafted into the family of God and you are a Christian, you are a disciple of Messiah, that he is speaking to you in this manner. Okay, examine your life, see what's going on, and do you find yourself wasting time on things that don't produce any fruit, that have no value and are not beneficial in any way to your well-being and most certainly not to the family of God? Okay, so let's continue to go.
B.C. Vine:I'm really liking this introduction. I think it's important for us to really again lean into the parable of the talents and not rush into it. There's a lot of richness here, and I don't want to take these scriptures lightly, because this is a very, very important portion of text here that we're kind of going through Now. The set up verse to the parable of the talents is the parable of the 10 virgins is the parable of the 10 virgins, and I love this parable. It's quite rich. It allows you to kind of really imagine what's going on here.
B.C. Vine:If you've never heard this parable before and I know that some of these practices are archaic for us, especially if you are Western culture and we are a modern day society like we are in America, are in America these things are foreign to you. But it's great to look at, get a cultural glimpse back into time to see how Israelite culture handled things like marriage. And he's using this example once again because our Messiah was very good at relating to people and he understood the people of the day and how they were thinking, and so that's why I love these stories, because they would have really resonated with them. Now his truths are lasting to the test of time, so they resonate with us too. But imagine being in that setting in this day. I bet some of these stories really kind of stung and they kind of popped out.
B.C. Vine:But Matthew 25, 1 through 13, reads like this. At that time, the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, the cry rang out here is the bridegroom, come out to meet him. Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish one said to the wise Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out. No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves to buy the oil.
B.C. Vine:The bridegroom arrived, the virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later, the others also came, sir, sir. They said open the door for us, but he replied I tell you the truth. I do not know. You. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Point here is this If you choose to ignore God's calling on your life, you will be left at the door. If you choose to ignore God's calling on your life, you will be left at the door. This is a very stark and poignant point here. A lot of times we look at salvation and we say, okay, well, I'm saved.
B.C. Vine:Many, many believers you meet in this modern day context, they are what we would call fire insurance Christians. They really just want to escape hellfire. They don't really want relationship, right, they want the benefits of being with God without any of the commitment of having a relationship with God. They look at God as a genie that they rub to help them with problems and pain and life's difficulties and circumstances to erase things, but they don't really want to go into the depths of relationship with him. And so here you have these five foolish versions who were going out, but they weren't prepared. And then they wanted the oil of the women who were prepared, but you can't give the oil away. This is the oil. Is is similar.
B.C. Vine:If you were to give a relatable idea to it, it's. It's almost kind of like your relationship with God or your relationship with somebody significant in your life, let's say a spouse, right? I can't give you the intimacy that I have with my spouse If you want to develop a deepness, you're going to have to develop your own relationship. Now maybe it's more akin to a friendship or a family member, because of course, you know, if I have my wife, you can't have her, obviously, but the time that I am committed to and the getting to know her is what creates the intimacy. You see these bridegrooms in this parable of the 10 virgins. They were serious about being wives and they were prepared and they fell asleep because it was taking a long time. And once again, this is in the backdrop of the end of the age. Let's not forget about how we started in the beginning of Matthew 24. Jesus is talking to disciples about the signs of the end age and he's giving them several examples of what it's going to be like when he comes back In this time period. It's going to feel so long, but you don't want to find yourself unprepared and there is going to be an expectation that you are ready when he returns.
B.C. Vine:You are listening to the Equipped for Life podcast. We are doing an introduction into the parable of the talents, matthew, verses 25, 14 through 30. But this is an introduction to that, to give you guys an understanding of where we are On the other side of this, we are going to come back and we are going to cover the parable of talents. So if you're hearing this episode, stay tuned. The parable of the talents, matthew 25, verses 14 through 30, is next.
